Make History Again

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 21, 2013) — Eliseo Medina, International Secretary-Treasurer of the Service Employees International Union and a long-time leader in the immigrant justice movement, issued the following statement after the Inauguration of President Obama:

“As President Obama took the public oath office today, he fittingly placed his hand on the Bibles owned by President Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., two great men who dreamed of and strived for justice.

“History will remember President Obama as the realization of the American Dream that was based on our nation’s founding principles, “that all men are created equal” and that among our rights are “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

“The president reaffirmed those principles during his Inaugural Address while also reminding us that our nation was founded and built by immigrants. He challenged us to seek common ground on the great issues facing our nation, such as immigration reform.

“We will work with President Obama to seize this moment in history and restore justice in our immigration system. As Dr. King once instructed us, “The time is always right to do what is right.” The time to do commonsense immigration reform is now.

“Congratulations President Obama for making history once again.”

“We Will Work With President Obama to seize this moment in history.”

Eliseo Medina is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).